Once upon a Christmas Eve
by Lirulin
Summary: High King Peter the Magnificent and King Edmund the Just are on a quest. A quest to retrieve Queen Susan's Christmas present that has been stolen by a most wicked thief. Some brotherly holiday fluff and fun set in the Golden Age.


**Once upon a Christmas Eve**_  
by Lirulin_

**Disclaimer: **Nothing belongs to me, it is all the property of C. S. Lewis. And I am of course also not making any money with it.

Just a short oneshot that came to my mind while I was thinking about Christmas and how it might go for two particular Pevensies in Narnia. Enjoy!

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"This is all your fault!"

"Excuse me? How the heck is this _my_ fault? _You_ were the one who said he knew a shortcut to the Magpie's nest! And _you_ were the one who didn't watch where he was going and walked right into that snow drift! I fail to see how _I_ can be held responsible for any of this!"

Edmund was still occupied with brushing snow off of his clothes and out of his hair, muttering under his breath about inconsiderate older brothers and evil, treacherous holes in the ground, tripping up hapless kings. Peter just rolled his eyes and walked a few steps away, knowing that his brother would get up eventually – and would let him know _exactly_ what he had done wrong.

"Well, how could you let that Magpie steal your ever so precious present for Susan in the first place? Aren't you always telling me that nothing gets by you? That you can sense everyone's intentions from seven rooms away? Well, how then did one little Magpie slip under your radar? And I _do_ know a shortcut. The nest should be over there… somewhere… It's just a little further."

Peter whirled back around, pointing an accusing finger at his brother, but his words fled from him as he took in the sight before him. Edmund was still sitting on the ground, arms now crossed and pouting at him, snow covering his dark hair and small twigs tangled in it. He looked like a child that had just lost the biggest snowball fight in the history of winter and was now sulking. And Peter couldn't help bursting out into peals of laughter that rang out clearly in the frosty air. Edmund's scowl deepened which only managed to set Peter off again.

"Ed, you should see yourself! A snowman has nothing against you!"

"It's not funny, Peter!"

Peter thought it was, but wisely refrained from saying so, closing the distance between them quickly and hoisting his brother to his feet before he proceed to free him from the bits of wood in his hair.

"Well, to get back to your oh so kindly worded question, I didn't _let_ the Magpie steal it. I only turned my back for a moment, trying to find the book you wanted to have, and when I looked again, it was gone, and I could just catch a glimpse of the Bird with something in Its beak. I had seen the Magpie sitting on my windowsill, but how was I supposed to know It would come in and steal the present? I don't expect to be robbed in my own chambers!"

Edmund pushed Peter's hands away and tugged at his cloak, hoping to find the present as soon as possible. It was really the worst kind of luck to have it get stolen on Christmas Eve of all days…

"Perhaps the scores of silver ribbon you pasted all over it should've been a clue. Magpies? Shimmering, glittery things? Ring any bells, Pete?"

Now it was Peter who started pouting while Edmund walked forward again.

"Still, I'm the king. You don't steal from your king."

Edmund had to bite back a smile.

"It's an obsession. They can't help themselves. I'm sure It's quite contrite by now."

Peter of course knew that Edmund was right, and it was not so much that he was angry at that Magpie, but his brother had already pointed out what his real problem was. It rankled him a bit that he hadn't noticed anything. Edmund seemed to notice this because as soon as they were level, he laid a hand on Peter's arm.

"Pete? Come on, don't take it to heart so much. You know they have a reputation of being extremely silent and stealthy. I probably wouldn't have noticed It either. We'll just get the present back and no harm done."

Peter grinned at Edmund, thanking him silently for his words and making an effort to pay heed to them. Soon, a smile returned to his face.

"What did you mean by 'scores of silver ribbon' anyway? I'm proud of my gift-wrapping skills, thank you very much."

Edmund looked at him incredulously, trying to hide his smirk.

"I don't know if I would call that skill. It looked like a centaur had done the wrapping – with his hooves, mind you."

Peter felt the sudden urge to dump his brother into the snow again, he seemed to have liked it so much the first time, but before he could follow his impulse, something hit his head and bounced to the ground.

"Ow!"

Edmund reacted to his exclamation instantly, hand flying to the dagger at his side and eyes sweeping the immediate vicinity. They were only a short distance from Cair Paravel, but you could never be too sure.

"What is it? Are you hurt?"

Peter rubbed his head and looked around, but couldn't see anything either.

"No, it's alright. It was something really small, but I don't know…"

He never finished his sentence because quite suddenly, a shower of nuts rained down on him. Peter brought his arms up quickly to shield his head and before he could decide whether to run or to stand still, it was already over. He glanced at Edmund, who was staring at him open-mouthed, and then at the tree next to him where an extremely agitated Squirrel was now racing down the trunk.

"Oh Goodness! Oh Goodness! Your Majesty! Oh dearie me… I told him! I told him! 'Wickerleaf', I says, 'Don't go putting our nuts in that there tree. It's too brittle', I says. Good Lion, your Majesty! I'm ever so sorry! So sorry! Are you hurt? Believe me, we never meant to… Can I get your Highness anything? A nut? … No, perhaps not. But he never listens to me! Always doing the opposite! Why, only last week I says to him, 'Wickerleaf', I says, 'We ought to go getting to the Cair and ask them nice people at the stables for some straw for our home'. And he goes himself to bring back stones from the river! Oh your Majesty! I do apologise so much! Dearie me! All the nuts!"

Edmund could barely contain his mirth. There was Peter standing in the snow with a dazed expression on his face, surrounded by uncountable nuts, with a Squirrel in front of him that was alternately patting his leg and trying to pick them up, all the while chattering incessantly.

"… and then my aunt from over by Lantern's Waste came to visit and we had nothing to offer her at all and I was ever so embarrassed, but he…"

Edmund cleared his throat loudly, coming to the conclusion that Peter was obviously too nonplussed to do anything but stare at the Squirrel in amazement.

"Good my Cousin, please do not alarm yourself unduly. As far as I can perceive, my royal brother is unharmed, and we know that you meant no attack upon his or my person. It saddens us to see your winter's supply spread out on the ground thusly and we will be glad to assist you in collecting your nuts again."

He gave Peter a sharp look that finally managed to snap his brother out of his surprise, and together they aided the very thankful Squirrel – whose name was Birchflake – in picking up all the nuts and bringing them to a new tree.

Finally they were on their way again, but not before Birchflake had slipped Edmund at least a dozen of the nuts "for when his Majesty perhaps is feeling better again".

"Well, that's what I call poetic justice. And what does it teach us? 'Thou shalt not laugh at thy younger brother's predicament'."

Edmund smiled in satisfaction while Peter trudged after him, wondering if he couldn't pass a law that forbid said younger brothers from mocking their High King.

"Very funny, Edmund."

"Yes, that's what I thought. Now let's get going. I'm surprised we haven't yet found the nest. It was always somewhere around here…"

Peter shook his head and once again asked himself if the shortcut had really been such a good idea.

"Please tell me you know where we are going, Ed. I don't want to walk back the whole way to the Cair to ask someone where the Magpies are wintering, and then come back again."

Edmund looked at him in pretended indignation.

"Oh ye of little faith! Of course I know where I'm going. And even if I did not – which I do – would it really be such a great loss? It was only a comb. You could get Susan something else."

Peter's eyes went so wide that Edmund almost feared they would fall out of his head any moment now and started waving his arms wildly.

"Only a comb? Only a comb? It was _not_ 'only a comb', for Lion's sake! It was a mother-of-pearl comb with ebony inlays and sapphires! There's almost _no one_ who can do work like that! Do you know what it cost me to get it? And I don't mean the money, which was considerable, make no mistake, but the Calormene merchant I bought it from. I had to haggle with him for five hours! Five! He didn't even want to sell it to me at first, said it was a family heirloom and beyond price anyway because, like I said, _almost no one can do wood inlays in mother-of-pearl!_ And then he wanted me to promise that I would marry his daughters! All three of them! He actually had them called and began enumerating their assets to me! Do you have any idea how mortified I was? Next I made the mistake of complimenting one of them on her rabab playing which he took as a proposal! He started talking about bride prices and wanted to set the wedding date immediately! So don't you dare telling me it's only a comb!"

By now, Edmund was leaning against a tree, pounding it with his fists and laughing so hard that tears were streaming down his face. He could not believe he had not yet heard that story. He knew of course that Peter had bought the comb from one of the merchants that had accompanied the delegation from Calormen, and he also knew that some of them had brought along their families, but this… It must've been on the day that he had visited the Stone Table with the ambassador who had, to Edmund's surprise, been genuinely interested in its history and what had happened there.

"Oh Peter, that's too much! Please stop, I'm dying over here! When do I get to meet my new sisters-in-law?"

And he broke out into new peals of laughter. Peter strode over to him, grabbing his shoulder and shaking him.

"Stop laughing! It was a very harrowing experience, not a source of amusement for you and your shallow humour! I just wanted to make you see that it's more than a comb, so we have to get it back!"

Edmund nodded, wiping his eyes and briefly leaning his head against Peter's shoulder to regain his composure. He was still chuckling from time to time.

"Alright, alright, I understand. The comb represents your unwavering fortitude in the face of nearly insurmountable odds. We have to get it back so that you can present Susan with a tangible proof of your willingness to do everything to make her happy. I get it."

Peter took a deep breath, telling himself that no, he would not strangle his brother, that he loved him very much, even if he could not fathom _why_ at the moment, and that not even the comb would save him if he had to confess to Susan and Lucy that they were down to three monarchs.

"So help me, Ed, if you weren't my brother…"

Edmund only grinned at him and stepped away, resuming his steady path through the snow.

"But I _am_, and you know you love it."

Peter had just thought of a witty comeback when they spied a big Magpie fluttering towards them, dropping a gleaming silver fork in the snow right in front of Peter's boots before perching on a nearby branch.

"Your Majesties, I heard you coming, and I knew what you were after. Please, I beg you to forgive my son his insolence. He is still young, and although I have told him again and again that he must not take anything without asking first, especially when he is at the castle, he could not contain himself when he saw it glittering in your Highness's room. He meant no harm, and I have already punished him severely and told him he had to return it to you. Please forgive him."

Edmund picked up the fork and looked at Peter questioningly. That was most certainly not a lumpy present drowned in too much ribbon. Peter gaped at him for a moment, but quickly gathered himself when he saw the Magpie's earnest remorse and slight fear.

"Please do not be afraid, good Mistress Magpie. We will certainly forgive your son, and if you say that you have already had words with him and chastised him, then there is no need for us to pursue this further. You have returned our belongings to us, for which we thank you, and so we will let the matter rest. Return to your family and enjoy your Christmas. Aslan's blessings upon you and your loved ones!"

The Magpie thanked him and Edmund profusely, assuring them over and over that it would never happen again and finally flew back to her nest, there impressing upon her son how grateful he should be that they had such wise and good Sovereigns.

Meanwhile, Edmund's and Peter's search had come to an abrupt halt. Peter was still eyeing the fork in Edmund's hand with obvious confusion.

"So, if the Magpie didn't steal it… Then where is my comb?"

Edmund threw his hands up in resignation, being none the wiser than his brother.

"How should I know? _You_ lost it! Let's get back to the Cair, Susan and Lucy will soon start wondering where we are."

Peter didn't have any better ideas, so they went back the way they had come, plodding through the snow in silence. He was lost in his thoughts, wondering what he would do if he could not find the present. He had so looked forward to giving it to Susan, knowing that she would be delighted by it. A violent sneeze beside him flung him out of his reflections. It was pure instinct that made him turn to his brother immediately, checking him over.

"Ed! Are you alright?"

Edmund rolled his eyes, but submitted himself to Peter's ministrations easily enough. He was used to the other's mother-henning tendencies and knew it only got worse if he resisted. So he let Peter feel his forehead, check his pulse and even look into his mouth, only starting to protest when he proceed to pat his chest and stomach.

"I was not run through by sword, Pete. It was just a sneeze. It's nothing. Falling into the snow can do that to you."

Peter looked at him doubtfully, but then nodded, grabbing his arm and dragging him along, reasoning that the sooner they got back to the warmth of the castle, the better.

"You are still going to drink some of Susan's special herbal tea. We're not taking any chances. You know how easily a simple sneeze can turn into something more."

Edmund privately thought that the whole lost-present-affair seemed to have made Peter even more irrational than usual, but decided that for Christmas's sake he'd even endure the foul tea, as long as it made Peter happy and back off.

Back at Cair Paravel, he at least managed to convince Peter to let him help look for the present once again before he went to Susan for the tea, and so they were standing in Peter's room a short while later. Peter pointed to the table.

"It was laying right there. Then I walked over to the bookcase," he suited actions to his words, "and when I turned back around, it wasn't there anymore."

Edmund looked around carefully, contemplating what could possibly have happened to the gift, and paused suddenly in evident surprise. Then he bent down to lift the tablecloth a little. Glittering back at him was a mass of silvery ribbon. He picked up the present very deliberately, marched over to Peter, who was by now shifting from foot to foot, and waved it in his face.

"Are you honestly telling me that you didn't search your room before bursting into the library, shouting about malevolent thievery and tearing me away from my research into the history of the Lone Island, _which we will need when we go there next month_, to go traipsing through the woods?"

Peter looked at him sheepishly and shrugged slightly, scratching his head.

"Um… yes..? I'm sorry, Ed, I was just so shocked that I didn't even think to see if it had… simply… fallen down."

Edmund continued to glare at him for a few moments, but then the hilarity of the situation caught up to him, and he started to laugh, Peter soon following him.

"We truly are a pair, Pete, aren't we? I don't want to know what kind of a picture we presented, stumbling through the trees, falling into snow drifts, being pelted with nuts… Oh well, at least you have it back now."

Peter smiled, whole-heartedly agreeing with Edmund, and then wrapped an arm around his shoulder, drawing him into a quick hug and pressing a kiss to his dark head.

"I appreciate your help anyway, Ed. Thank you."

Edmund briefly touched his brother's cheek, conveying a wealth of meaning with the simple gesture.

"Always, Peter, always."

Later that night, when they were all sitting in front of the fireplace in Lucy's room, enjoying a hot chocolate and trading stories, Peter couldn't help musing that this here, being together with his siblings, being close to them, was worth more than anything he could ever buy or acquire. He looked up and had to smile at a squirming Edmund who was at the moment being packed into a thick blanket by Susan after he had just sneezed again. His brother's eyes met his own, and Peter saluted him with his mug, whereupon Edmund proceeded to stick his tongue out at him. Lucy was leaning against his side, humming a Christmas carol to herself and playing with the fingers of his other hand, waiting for him to continue his account of how Oreius had managed to almost frighten a poor Mole to death yesterday. Everything he could ever wish for was here around him, and in his heart he thanked Aslan for the greatest gift of all: his family.

The End

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Hope you liked it! Please tell me what you think. And a very Merry Christmas to all of you!


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